Ep. 44: Swordswoman! Japan's Best
is the forty-fourth episode of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. Synopsis Goushi protects the best swordswoman in Japan from Bandora's newest DoraMonster, who absorbs and multiplies the talents of the best people for itself. Plot A concert by one Kaori Hayasaka is going as it should until she's suddenly abducted by a tornado; the same occurs when a Nishizawa, a young baseball player as he's practicing his batting and a soccer practice with Sugimoto; three up-and-comers suddenly vanishing. The event is caused by Dora Chimaera for Bandora, deciding to abduct idols of the children of the world and make them disappear, with the idea that they see their idols disappear and they become depressed as a result, ruining the planet. As this is occurring, a girl is helping a woman on a bus as another man lowers his head; the woman forces the man to stop pretending to sleep and let the older woman have his seat instead. As the bus stops, the girl states men in today's world are weak. She continues to walk as a voice reveals she is Sayaka Yamazaki and the wind stirs up; she draws out a kendo bokuto as Dora Chimaera's tornado tries to abduct her, but she is able to break out by smashing it on the head, stating she wasn't fooled due to being the best swordsman in Japan! The swordswoman attacks the Dora Monster but it fights back until it tosses her aside preparing to attack until Goushi knocks it back as he states it's how he suspected. Dora Chimaera and Goushi continue to fight as the Dora Monster starts kicking multi-colored pillars, it's form similar to that of soccer player Sugimoto; Dora Chimaera soon reveals he can absorb the powers of every person he absorbs, soon kicking the globe off a statue with Sugimoto's kick hurting Sayaka's hand before firing an attacking hitting her and Goushi. The Zyuranger forces Sayaka into his Side-Zaurer to escape as Dora Chimaera threatens that her swordsmanship will be his. As they reach another section of the park, Goushi apologizes for Sayaka's injury and offers to look at it, but the swordswoman states it's just a scratch and she could have defeated it on her own, telling him to not interfere before running off. At a kendo dojo, children are practicing as Sayaka tells them to stop as she finishes with them. as she sits, the children ask if she will disappear as they reveal the disappearance of various idols, making her realize it was Dora Chimaera's doing while the children plead for her to not disappear; she assures them that the dojo is important and she loves all her students and that she won't vanish, making them all embrace her. Goushi soon arrives outside as it starts to rain and it darkens as the lessons end and the children leave for the day. Sayaka looks at her hand as Goushi continues to stand solemnly until the swordswoman hands him a bamboo umbrella; he states he wants to protect her which she wonders why, stating that she is Dora Chimaera's next target. Sayaka soon challenges Goushi to a match, stating that if he wants to protect her, he has to be stronger than her; stating it will be in the park the next day, leaving Goushi in the rain as she runs off. On the moon, Lamie asks Bandora why she's making Dora Chimaera wait for attacking Sayaka, but the witch states she has a good idea. That night, as Sayaka sleeps, she wonders why Goushi wants to protect her as she hears a strange chanting, soon seeing something that scares her. The next day, Goushi and Sayaka stand ready to fight with bokuto in the park; the tension making her feel like she's someone else. Asking Goushi if he's ready, she lunges and attacks Goushi, but suddenly cuts his vest before continuing to attack him relentlessly before he kicks her away, leading to her bamboo sword appearing to become an actual metal one! Goushi struggles and attacks Sayaka from below but she kicks him just like soccer player Sugimoto, making Goushi realize that the swordswoman has been taken over somehow! Changing her sword to metal again, she attacks Goushi as he tells her to stop and she isn't herself as Sayaka kicks Mammothranger away and continues to attack, making him ask her to wake up and that the children are waiting for her, briefly making her stop before telling him to quiet before knocking his wooden sword away. Sayaka prepares to deliver the killing blow, but the real Sayaka inside the rampaging one tells her to stop, conflicting with Dora Chimaera in wanting to kill Goushi. The Dora Monster wins and she delivers the blow to attack, but Goushi catches the sword with his hands, wondering how he could as he states he'll protect her no matter what, making the real Sayaka admire him as he tells Sayaka to fight and his hands start bleeding from the blade. Sayaka writhes in pain as Dora Chimaera is released from her body, allowing for Goushi to attack him but in pain with his bleeding hands causing him to have a hard time fighting the Dora Monster until the other Zyuranger arrive to join in the battle, soon joined by Golems supporting Dora Chimaera the team fight off before soon transforming to fight Dora Chimaera. Elsewhere, Goushi stumbles about with his bleeding hands as Sayaka runs to him and pulls out a handkerchief which she rips up and bandages his hands with, relieved since he can fight once again. Sayaka worries stating that he can't fight but he merely thanks her but she hugs him from behind crying telling him to not go. Looking at his hands, he compares her scar to his own but his fist clenches as he turns into Mammothranger, thanking her as he heads off to help his teammates as she continues to cry. At the same time, the Zyuranger continue to fight Dora Chimaera; Mei tries to attack it with her arrows but the Dora Monster uses the archery skills of Yabuki matching her before hitting Pteraranger until Geki shoots at it with his Ranger Gun. Dora Chimaera soon picks up a pillar to use the power of the slugger Nishizawa, smashing the male Zyuranger knocking their weapons and them away from him before shooting them with eye beams. Then Dora Chimaera declares their end at hand as it creates a tornado with it's goat head belly laughing manically until Goushi shoots at it from a cliff with his Moth Breaker, stating he will be dying here and will kill it in one hit inspired by Sayaka's white scarf. Mammothranger soon leaps from the cliff and smashes it with the blade of his axe, killing it instantly until Bandora revives and grows it with her staff. As it starts snowing around the battleground, Daizyuzin is summoned and the two combat, the goat head blowing out wind towards the Guardian until it starts freezing and turning into a statue, the Dora Monster pulling out a hockey stick stating he will finish them with a powerful ice hockey dash. Stating they won't be defeated, Goushi makes Daizyuzin spin dizzying Dora Chimaera while warming it back up until he summons the Godhorn and the team finishes it with the Super-Legendary Lightning Cut. At a cafe later, Goushi drinks coffee while contemplating sadly and the team admire the falling snow; while Sayaka continues to train her students at her dojo as the same snow falls near her. Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : Guest Cast * : * : * : *Nishizawa: Notes *While this episode aired on Christmas, the holiday was not specifically acknowledged although elements such as snow and the Zyurangers relaxing at the end seem to show that they did acknowledge there was something special about this day. Starting next season, this holiday would become acknowledged within the series directly. *The name of the idol whose abilities are stolen by Dora Chimaera at the start of the episode is Kaori Hayasaka, which is a fusion of the two female Rangers of the previous series, Choujin Sentai Jetman (Kaori Rokumeikan and Ako Hayasaka) and may also be in reference to how Ako became an idol in the epilogue at the end. DVD Releases *''Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger'' Volume 5 features episodes 41-50.http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/zyuranger.html *The complete Zyuranger series was released in North America by Shout! Factory in 2015. References See Also Category:Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger Category:Sentai episodes Category:Written by Naruhisa Arakawa